Joint study of ammonia fuelled bulk carriers

(Posted on 22/07/24)

ITOCHU Corporation, ClassNK, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding a joint study for the design and safety specifications of ammonia-fuelled ships which are under development by ITOCHU and partners.

Ammonia is advancing as a viable marine fuel solution for the decarbonization of the maritime sector. The discussion for a specification of ammonia-fuelled ship with governmental body related to their operation is essential for a social implementation of ammonia-fuelled ship. As one of parties of the MoU, MPA, the government agency overseeing the world’s busiest bunkering hub, will review and provide their views to the designs of the ammonia-fuelled ships to ensure their safe operations.

This MoU is based on the premise that 200,000 deadweight ton class bulk carriers will be built by Nihon Shipyard with an ammonia dual-fuelled engine by applying alternative design approval*1 process in accordance with the ‘Integrated project for development and social implementation of ammonia-fuelled ships’ which was adopted under the ‘Green Innovation Fund Project / Development Project for Next-Generation Ships / Development of Ammonia-Fuelled Ship’, a project publicly offered by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in October 2021. The necessary clarifications of the specification for the ammonia-fuelled ship to carry out ammonia bunkering in Singapore will be conducted among parties of this MoU, for the commercialization of ammonia-fuelled ships.

As a classification society, ClassNK is responsible for providing insight from the perspective of safety and environmental protection as well as information on alternative design approval process. ClassNK is committed to participating in various initiatives towards decarbonization and will continue to contribute to society through safety assessments and information provision.

*1 Alternative design approval is to prove that the ship is as safe as a ship built in accordance with existing international regulations and to obtain approval from the competent authorities when the ship is designed without any international guidelines.